{"id":5647,"date":"2026-07-28T09:07:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T09:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5647"},"modified":"2026-07-28T09:07:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T09:07:42","slug":"harriette-cole-my-boyfriend-doesnt-like-that-i-wont-share-my-location","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5647","title":{"rendered":"Harriette Cole: My boyfriend doesn’t like that I won’t share my location"},"content":{"rendered":"
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DEAR HARRIETTE<\/strong>: My boyfriend of six months wants me to share my location with him, and I\u2019m not so sure I want to do that.<\/p>\n

Read more Miss Manners: I don\u2019t understand when you should arrive for a party<\/a><\/p>\n

I know lots of families, friends and couples do this for safety, but I don\u2019t feel comfortable sharing this because I am a grown 35-year-old woman. I don\u2019t think anyone should be allowed to stalk my location.<\/p>\n

I told my boyfriend I\u2019ll think about it, and he felt offended that I didn\u2019t want to immediately share my location with him.<\/p>\n

He says I\u2019m making a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be and that if I have nothing to hide, it shouldn\u2019t bother me.<\/p>\n

He pointed out that several of his friends and their girlfriends all share their locations with each other and that it gives them peace of mind. He insists he isn\u2019t trying to monitor me or control where I go; he just likes knowing I\u2019m safe, especially if I\u2019m traveling alone or out late.<\/p>\n

I understand where he\u2019s coming from; I just feel this crosses a line for me. I\u2019ve always loved my independence, and I don\u2019t like the idea of my boyfriend knowing where I am every minute of every day.<\/p>\n

Do you think I should give my boyfriend my location?<\/p>\n

\u2014 Don\u2019t Monitor Me<\/em><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

DEAR DON\u2019T MONITOR ME<\/strong>: I understand your point \u2014 and your boyfriend\u2019s.<\/p>\n

I do like the idea of someone having your location in case of emergency. It could be a best friend, family member or your man. But you should not feel forced into giving it to this man, who is still new in your life. It\u2019s OK to stay the course and just say no.<\/p>\n

You can tell him you aren\u2019t rejecting him or hiding anything. Talk to him about your thoughts and values. Explain what independence means to you and how fiercely you have worked to be self-sustaining. Tell him you appreciate his desire to have your back and you welcome that attitude, but it is important for you, at least for now, to maintain your independence.<\/p>\n

DEAR HARRIETTE<\/strong>: For the past two months, my husband has been sick in the hospital with heart failure.<\/p>\n

Read more Dear Abby: My marriage might not survive the road trip I have planned<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

I have been a mess because he is only 55 years old and we\u2019ve been together for 30 years. I can\u2019t imagine my life without him; for a majority of my life, he\u2019s been right there supporting me.<\/p>\n

We have two teenage boys, and I don\u2019t even know what to say to them as losing a parent so young is devastating.<\/p>\n

The doctors have been doing everything they can, but every update seems uncertain. One day they tell us he\u2019s making progress, and the next day there\u2019s another setback.<\/p>\n

I spend almost every moment at the hospital because I don\u2019t want him to feel alone, but I\u2019m emotionally and physically exhausted. I\u2019m barely sleeping, I\u2019ve lost my appetite and I feel guilty anytime I leave his side, even if it\u2019s just to go home to shower.<\/p>\n

Our boys are trying to be strong, but I can tell they are scared. How do I prepare my children and myself for a possible future without their dad?<\/p>\n

\u2014 Sick Dad<\/em><\/p>\n

DEAR SICK DAD<\/strong>: Be in the present. Don\u2019t start planning life without him now. Make sure your children visit him as much as possible. Be loving forces there with him.<\/p>\n

Whenever he passes \u2014 now or in the future \u2014 you will learn to live without him. He is here now. Cherish that.<\/p>\n

Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c\/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Comic-Con 2026: David Jonsson is new Black Panther, Ryan Gosling joins Marvel as Ghost Rider<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He says if I have nothing to hide, it shouldn’t bother me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice"],"yoast_head":"\nHarriette Cole: My boyfriend doesn’t like that I won’t share my location - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5647\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Harriette Cole: My boyfriend doesn’t like that I won’t share my location - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"He says if I have nothing to hide, it shouldn't bother me.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5647\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T09:07:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5647#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5647\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"Harriette Cole: My boyfriend doesn’t like that I won’t share my location\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-28T09:07:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5647\"},\"wordCount\":706,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5647#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/934295b22278f63640af5eb98e8b862d.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Advice\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5647#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5647\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=5647\",\"name\":\"Harriette Cole: My boyfriend doesn’t like that I won’t share my location - 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